{"id":549134,"date":"2026-04-10T01:03:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T01:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/549134\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T01:03:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T01:03:14","slug":"sharks-to-shake-up-lineup-in-anaheim-is-it-do-or-die","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/549134\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharks To Shake Up Lineup In Anaheim; Is It Do Or Die?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The San Jose Sharks will need Yaroslav Aaskarov<\/a> to be great vs. the Anaheim Ducks<\/a> on Thursday, or else it could severely dent playoff hopes.<\/p>\n

Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky would only confirm his starting goalie before the second half of a back-to-back, but signaled changes to the lineup would be coming.<\/p>\n

Askarov will start.<\/p>\n

There will be line-up changes, to both forwards and defense, I believe, but Warsofsky declined to share them. We\u2019ll see during warm-ups.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) April 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Warsofsky told reporters after the Sharks\u2019 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers<\/a> on Wednesday that the coaching staff would discuss possible changes for Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll look at it. I think that\u2019s under consideration for sure,\u201d Warsofsky said.<\/p>\n

The San Jose Sharks head coach has not been shy about rotating players in his lineup during back-to-back situations, wanting fresh legs. Young players like Michael Misa, Sam Dickinson, and Igor Chernyshov all struggled against the Oilers. Dickinson was on the ice for a goal against on three consecutive shifts during the second period. The 19-year-old was also benched for the final 9:37 of the first period.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe game picks up, and that type of team can jump on you [and] maybe second-guess how you want to play certain situations,\u201d Warsofsky said. \u201cNext thing you know, you\u2019re on your heels. Another learning moment for some of our guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although they can\u2019t be mathematically eliminated with a loss tonight, the San Jose Sharks need to keep pace with their Western Conference counterparts. The closest teams in the standings<\/a> to the Sharks all play tonight.<\/p>\n

WPG at STL
NSH at UTH
VAN at LAK<\/p>\n

The best-case scenario for the Sharks in the standings would be for the St. Louis Blues<\/a>, Utah Mammoth<\/a>, and Vancouver Canucks<\/a> to finish their games with regulation wins. The Los Angeles Kings have played in 32 overtimes this season, an NHL record.<\/p>\n

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. in the next \u2018biggest game of the year\u2019.<\/p>\n